The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, will travel to Russia to watch his country's soccer team play in the World Cup semi-finals, which they qualified for after defeating Uruguay 2-0, it was officially announced on Friday.
The celebration of the World Cup has allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to intensify his diplomacy, securing a series of meetings in the framework of the tournament at a time when Russia is increasingly isolated on the international stage.
Macron said at an economic forum in St. Petersburg in May that he would return to Russia if France reached the World Cup semi-finals. When asked about Macron's plans, a French presidency official said on Friday, "Yes, he will travel."
The official said Macron would only travel for the match on Tuesday against Belgium in St. Petersburg and that he had no other plans while in Russia.
The Kremlin welcomed Macron's decision. "We are happy that the President of France is coming," said spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, as quoted by the RIA news agency.
Human rights groups have called on Western leaders to boycott the World Cup in Russia due to the Russian government's interventions in Syria.